Hinds CC film program starts in August

Hinds Community College is ready to help with film industry workforce development by giving students the hands-on experience they need for employment in the film and video industry.

Hinds will kick off its new film and video technology program at its Rankin campus in August, making it the only two-year college in Mississippi to offer film courses.

Coursework for the program includes communications, digital imaging and editing, grip and electrical, audio design, production and camera work. Graduates will be qualified to work on feature films, TV commercials, music videos, documentaries and Internet multimedia projects.

David Campbell, dean of career and technical education for the Rankin campus, said at the recent Mississippi Film Summit that the program is “economic development” and hopes the Mississippi film industry will be large enough to accommodate future graduates.

“I am a terrified individual right now. We normally don’t start a technical program before the industry is here. We are rated on job placement when students finish,” Campbell said.

Summit attendees, such as Atlanta-based producer Kay Phillips, a Greenville native, said she would be interested in hiring Hinds film program interns to work on a TV show she is trying to bring to Mississippi.

Natchez native Jim Bob Allgood, who has produced the “Redneck Adventures” TV show for 10 years, also spoke in favor of partnering to build a crew base and shooting shows in Mississippi.